Carbon neutral cows
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Did you know that dairy cows can be carbon neutral? Yes, I am talking about greenhouse gas emissions neutral. I know it seems crazy.
The vexing question of animal welfare
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Animal welfare is certainly a subject about which most people will have something to say. Most people’s opinions are firmly held and are based on their beliefs, culture and traditions, rather than on factual evidence. The broader community needs to understand that animal welfare is a very complex and multifaceted subject which cannot be reduced to one box.
Case study: The journey to sustainability
Reading Time: 15 minutes
The SWAN system is composed of soil, water, atmosphere and nutrient components. The best way to show how these integrated and interrelated measures reflect the journey of improving agricultural sustainability is to show a case study of a farm which has become more sustainable over the past five years.
What farmers can learn from the drought
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The reality is that adapting agricultural practices when the drought is already upon us is actually too late. Sustainable agriculture should be a way of life.
Trace & SaveImplementing well
Reading Time: 3 minutes
What I want to discuss is the difference between putting ideas into practice in a manner that just ticks the box and putting ideas into practice in a manner that brings about tangible results.
Don’t expect miracle pastures from nitrogen alone
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Nitrogen alone cannot carry the responsibilities of other nutrients in the plant. That is why farmers need to have a balance of all essential plant nutrients in order to archive optimal growth.
Sustainable food production: Is agriculture playing its part?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
It is going to take considerable effort from researchers, consultants and farmers, and a commitment to developing farm systems which better mimic nature, but I am hopeful for the future of sustainable agriculture in South Africa.
Five benefits of multi-species pastures
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The benefits of multispecies pasture are not only limited to the benefits mentioned in this blog, they are far greater. I have isolated these ones because they are the most pertinent and directly relate to farm profitability.
Milk, is it really just milk or so much more to it?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Look out for the Trace & Save logo on First Choice UHT-milk to see how easy it is to trace the impact of this milk product on the environment
A new perspective
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Approaching agriculture in new ways requires new perspectives on how to view things. One of the main differences between conventional and sustainable agriculture is the relative reliance on external inputs.